


First Steps

by Jacynon



Category: Lego Ninjago, The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Crushes, Developing Relationship, F/M, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 22:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14122596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacynon/pseuds/Jacynon
Summary: In hindsight, Jay really shouldn't have forgotten that Nya's brother is Kai. Best friend to Lord Garmadon's son and absolutely terrifying in his athletic abilities - not to mention the rumors circulating nonstop about him - and Jay's not sure how to feel when he realizes he's just about to spend the night at the guy's house.





	First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is just a quick fic I wanted to get out there, mostly because the idea of Kai being super intimidating and just an absolute freak to the ninjago high student body is hilarious to me
> 
> movie jay radiates useless bisexual vibes. I know because I too am a useless bisexual.

Having your crush also be your theater partner _and_ your super cool best friend is both a blessing and a curse for Jay Walker.

Because on one hand, he gets to spend almost all of his time with Nya when she's not off doing...much cooler things, probably. He's not really sure what she does with her free time outside of when they hang out, but he figures that's healthy. Can't try to pry into her personal life too hard. That'd be creepy. He sort of wishes he knew, though. He's sure he'd love to hear about all her hobbies, even if they have nothing to do with him or with anything he understands or has context for. Still, he's more than content with how frequently he gets to see her.

On the other hand, there's pretty much always an elephant in the room when it comes to interacting with her. Sure, most everyone likes her and thinks she's just about the coolest girl to ever attend their high school, but everyone's got rumors. Hers come from a pretty unfortunate place.

Just because her brother is best friends with Lloyd Garmadon, and because she herself spends time with the evil lord's son every now and again, everyone thinks she's bound to cause trouble.

Which he supposes isn't inaccurate.

She definitely causes trouble, just none of the really malicious kind.

Jay likes to think that a lot of people have her pegged all wrong. She's kind and sweet when she wants to be, as well as level-headed and hilarious. Even though her interests and rock chick persona throw people off, he knows that she's down to Earth and sincere, and that she cares about people more than she lets on. He knew it from the moment they'd been practicing stage fighting during their acting lessons, when he'd been a little too eager to do so near the stairwell and had nearly fallen backwards over the banister. Back then, she'd saved him, and he knew from that moment how much she'd grow to mean to him.

Even though he knows he's got a huge thing for her, he's not sure if he necessarily wants to or knows how to pursue it from that angle.

They've become the closest of friends over time - staying over at Jay's house, going out to movies every other week, spending their lunches together - and it's made him wonder if he's really willing to potentially give that up. He likes being friends with her. Still, that's not at the core of his worries at the moment.

He reasons it should be.

Because he's just about to spend the afternoon over at _Nya's_ house for the first time, and he should be worried about what that's going to mean for his intense infatuation with her. But he's got more pressing matters on his mind.

Like Kai, for example, and the fact that he's going to be there.

 _Kai_ is going to be there.

As in, _the_ best friend of Lord Garmadon's son.

As in, the guy who roars across the school halls like there isn't a care in the world. The guy who's been in every athletic club there is and who's excelled in each one, only to drop them all out of nowhere because he gets _bored_. The guy who's estimated to've been in at least five fights just this past _year_ , and it's only March. Who's basically impervious to bullying, if only because he barely reacts to it and because everyone's just too afraid of him to make any snide comments. Even the cheerleaders avoid targeting him specifically when they're making jokes about their group because, _dude_ , do you _know_ what he's done to people? Because apparently no one does. Nothing Jay's been able to get a consistent account for, anyway. Which somehow makes Kai even more intimidating.

Nya's cool with Lloyd too, right? But, well, Nya's cool with everybody. Everybody wants to be cool with Nya.

So, when he brings it up to her, he expects her to laugh him off.

She doesn't exactly do that. Instead, she's just more confused than anything, the bell above them ringing in their ears as she switches out her books in the middle of their passing period. "Oh, you're...scared?" she asks slowly, like she's not sure if she'd heard him right. "You're scared of Kai?"

"Well, yeah! Everyone is!" he rushes to defend himself at the onslaught of embarrassment she's non-verbally throwing his way. "I mean, I don't know your brother, but - "

He stops himself, because he really _doesn't_ know Kai at all. He definitely doesn't want her to take offense to the fact that he clearly doesn't trust her brother, but he thinks of how it'd sound in her situation and feels as though he'd be pissed at himself for saying that. That's all hypothetical, of course. Nya doesn't look at all pissed, just perplexed. She at least starts to get the idea of where his concerns are coming from as he stares at the lockers in frustration.

Giving a little smile, she puts a hand to his arm and leans in. "Oh, just give him a chance," she says mere inches from him, and Jay finds it hard to remember how to breathe. They're pretty close with each other almost constantly, but he's not sure he'll ever get used to it. "He's a total nerd, but he's not so bad once you get to know him. We'll hang out together and we'll both have a great time like we always do. Come on, please? Sound fun to you?"

 _Nerd_ isn't exactly the word Jay would use to describe Kai, but he guesses that doesn't really matter.

All that matters right now is the pleading look she's giving him and the underlying knowledge in her expression - the tiny _glint_ in her eye - that's well aware of how he's basically unable to say no to her.

So, he swallows his worries. "Alright. S - Sounds fun."

* * *

Nya's grateful that Cole exists.

Just in general.

More specifically, she's grateful that she's no longer the only one trying to keep her brother in check. Cole's probably taken on the role of mediating Kai's behavior more than her as of late, actually. The guy's probably the most chill person she's ever met. But he's at the same time not at all a stick in the mud. There have been plenty of times where they'd all three been extremely passionate about something and, when putting their heads together, they're practically an unstoppable trio.

_(People tend to call them the Fuck-Up Friends, but Nya prefers "Fuck-Shit-Up Friends," personally.)_

So, when she brings up her future plans with Jay when they're all chilling in Kai's bedroom, she's not sure what response she's going to get.

Kai's busy helping Lloyd with homework, so he does a double-take at her words after not letting them register the first time around.

First to speak is Cole, who doesn't even look away from his portable turntables or lower his headphones. He's sitting on the bed and looking carefully at the papers below him with half-lidded eyes, seeming to only be half paying attention to their conversation. "Of course your little friend is scared of Kai. Everyone is."

A choked scoff comes from the other side of the room. Kai laughs a little and his shoulders hike up incredulously. "Are _you_ scared of me?"

All Cole does is roll his eyes. "I'm leaving out all the people smart enough to know what a train-wreck you are."

That's at least somewhat fair. Nya thinks that only applies to the four of them and possibly Zane. She's not entirely sure about him, though. It's not like she knows the guy well enough, but he and the others seem to get along fairly well, so she's not quick to judge. She just hopes her powers don't get in the way of becoming friends with him. After all, she knows from personal experience that water mixed with hardware rarely turns out in anything but disaster.

At least Kai has the decency to look offended.

He huffs and crosses his arms, leaning over the table and onto the pages he and the blonde are working on. Lloyd silently glares at him, but Kai speaks regardless. "Man, I can't help that everyone thinks I'm gonna jump them if they so much as walk past me! How's that my fault?"

"'Cause you look like a red shark and you hang around me," Lloyd points out, pulling a piece of paper out from under Kai's elbow so hard the brunette almost falls face-first onto the table. "Guessing it's mostly the latter. Everyone already thinks you're bad news just by association."

" _You're_ not bad news, though," Cole says, indignantly looking at Lloyd.

Lloyd gives a heavy sigh and his crossed arms tense up. "That's not the point. No one knows that. To them, I'm just Lord Garmadon's son."

"That shouldn't make a difference."

If anyone knows about not wanting to be judged just through association with their parents, it's Cole. He'd been one of the most eager to befriend Lloyd because, by his words -

 _"If you aren't bad, and_ he's _your father,"_ he'd been so brutally honest about his motivations, something that hasn't exactly changed, but this was before they'd really gotten close. _"Then we really don't have to all be like our parents. I guess I just wanna prove that."_

It was through Cole that Lloyd was able to meet Kai, and then Nya, and they all became friends even before they'd learned of their shared and interconnected destinies.

At this point, Cole is much like an older brother to Lloyd, quite possibly even moreso than Kai, if only because of how immature Kai can be at times. But Lloyd remains the stability that holds the team together and he's probably the most rational person in the room right now, all things considered. It's not like Cole's impervious to being a total jerk sometimes. He in fact seems to act that way without even realizing it, a lot of the time. Lloyd puts his pencil down and levels a look at Cole. "I'm not disagreeing with you, man."

"Sorry," he says it briefly, but they drop the subject. "Who are we talking about again?"

Nya groans and throws her book on the ground, leaning back against the wall. "Jay! He's my theater partner. He sits, like, right next to you in chemistry," she attempts to jog his memory and folds her legs underneath her.

His hand movements stop and he looks up as if trying hard to remember. "Kinda scrawny?"

"Yep, that's him."

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about him picking a fight with Kai. I'm pretty sure I could snap him in half if I wanted to."

"Please don't," she says flatly and bites back the laugh that bubbles in her throat because she knows that he's not joking. Then, she directs her attention back at Kai and pleads with him, sounding exhausted. "Look, just try to be nice to him this weekend. _Extra_ nice."

"I'm always extra nice!"

"Like, see, that smile just makes you look like you're gonna bite my throat out."

"What? It's not on purpose!"

"This'll be a disaster," Lloyd cuts through their exchange, head leaned into his hand, not even bothering to look up from the paper he's working on. "Group chat us when it happens."

* * *

Looking at Kai is sort of like looking directly at an angry caged tiger in the sense that you know there's a very small chance it'll hurt you, and yet the irrational worry is still there.

That's probably part of why Jay's excused himself to the kitchen after Kai had offered him some soda. Jay rarely even drinks soda. Bad for his teeth, and all. He wouldn't exactly call himself vain, it's just that he likes to look his best because he feels awful when he doesn't. But he imagines it'll look a little weird if he goes back out to the living room empty-handed, so he grabs one of the cans from the fridge and sighs. Can't do that much harm. It's sugary and fizzy and exactly what he thinks he needs right now.

"Man up, Walker," he tells himself as he leans against the counter. "He's just Nya's brother. He can't be that bad."

So far, it hasn't exactly gone badly. It's just been a bit awkward and tense and Jay knows that it's his own fault, he's just not sure how to stop it. Prior to this evening, he's had maybe a handful of actual conversations with Kai. So, being in the guy's own house is a lot like being in a stranger's, made better if only because it's also Nya's house. _That's_ who he's doing this for. Just gotta keep himself in check.

Before he slips through into the living room again, he opens the door just slightly and hears Kai and Nya's hushed voices.

He first hears Kai, a little more unsure than Jay remembers hearing him sound so far. "I think I made a good first impression."

"You started our house tour off by telling him we have forty swords," Nya responds in a pained whisper, obviously irked.

"But I didn't tell him how many knives we have - "

Just as Jay hesitantly enters the room, his squeaky voice comes out. "W - Wait, what about knives?"

The both of them turn to look at him blankly.

At least Kai finally looks embarrassed, the tips of his ears turning almost as red as his jacket as Nya puts a hand to her face and groans. There's an odd amount of pity and confusion that Jay feels towards the both of them, though for different reasons. Kai rubs the back of his neck and averts his eyes. "I think I'm starting to see what you mean," he says, and Jay's a bit puzzled until he realizes the guy's talking to Nya, which still doesn't really answer any of his questions.

She lets out a bark of laughter and raises an eyebrow. "Oh, is _that_ so?" she asks sarcastically, then pauses as if she's just suddenly gotten an idea. Without warning, she starts heading towards the stairs. "Y'know what? I think I'm gonna go get changed. Just keep each other company while I'm gone."

Jay's not sure whether to be glad or hurt by the fact that Kai looks just about as distraught as him when they hear her say that and make her way to her room.

"Wait, Nya - !" but, just before he can get anything out, her door loudly shuts.

And she's left them alone.

The two boys slowly turn to look at each other.

They stand in the dead quiet for a while before Kai gives a lopsided smile and raises a hand in a small wave.

"Hey."

Jay swallows.

"Hi."

It's clear from his discomfort that Kai's desperately looking for a subject, even some sort of small talk, but Jay knows that his own mind is drawing a massive blank and wonders if the same thing is happening to him. Eventually, Kai moves to cross his arms, trying to look natural while at the same time accomplishing the exact opposite. "So, theater, huh?" he asks casually, then his tone becomes just the slightest bit suspicious as he carefully eyes Jay up and down. "My sister's talked a lot about you. You don't happen to be interested in her, are you? _Like that_?"

There's a sharp intake of breath and Jay has the quick, passing thought of _oh no, Nya's crazy protective older brother is going to serial murder me in their knife house_ , but he thinks that's probably going too far. Still, he can't help the stutter that comes out when he hesitantly answers. "Sh - She's...my best friend."

As if trying to analyze if Jay's lying or not, Kai maintains a stony and unreadable expression before sighing and relaxing.

"Jeeze, you don't need to be so tense!" he pats Jay on the shoulder a little too hard and it doesn't do much to make the blue-clad teen feel any better. If anything, he thinks he just feels more uncomfortable and convinced that he's going to be attacked. But that feeling starts to fade once he raises his eyes up to meet Kai's softening ones and the brunette stares at the floor with a strange sort of sadness before continuing. "Sorry, I just worry about her. It sucks she's got to be as tough as she is, but I'm afraid of how bad it'd be for her if she wasn't. Being my sister and all, that is. It isn't always easy."

At that, Jay's pretty taken aback.

He wasn't really expecting any sort of emotional vulnerability from Kai, let alone anything like this. But he makes the decision to gently prod at the topic, knowing his curiosity is suddenly off the charts. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon, man, you know. Everyone thinks we're bad just 'cause we hang with Lloyd. Don't you?"

The accusation sort of hurts, even if it's true. "W - Why would you think that I'd...think that?" he asks lamely, not even able to outright deny it.

Kai raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Dunno. You look like the preppy, gossipy type," and just as Jay's about to take offense to that, Kai gets an apologetic look on his face and frowns, mostly to himself. "Was that mean? I think that was pretty mean. I'm sorry."

It's come to Jay's attention that Kai is actually a mess.

He's a little dumbfounded, honestly. The guy's never seemed to trip over his words this much. Or, maybe Jay's just never noticed, never had the chance to actually get to know him, or never tried to. He starts to feel a little guilty at how many assumptions he's made about Kai, even though he's still not entirely over his fear. He's just wary, that's all. But he knows that said wariness mostly comes from word of mouth by people Jay himself doesn't even really like. Why has he been believing much of anything that Chen's said when they don't get along with each other?

All the same, Jay doesn't like to think of himself as judgemental, and the idea that he's been acting that way makes him feel like all kinds of garbage. "No, it's alright. You're not wrong. There are just a lot of rumors about you, y'know?"

"Aren't there a bunch about Nya, too?"

"Well, yeah. But those aren't - "

Those aren't true. And Jay knows that, because he knows Nya.

He feels like an idiot after it all dawns on him.

He's not sure why he hasn't fully made the connection until now. He's just been holding onto these expectations about Kai despite having only just met him. So, what if Kai hangs around Lloyd Garmadon? It's not even like even the rumors about Lloyd himself have any factual basis - though, considering the guy's dad is the same evil ruler to attack the city, facts aren't exactly in his favor - and the people who spend time with him can't just be automatically assumed as evil. Like, Jay's a little suspicious of the guy who's _obviously_ a robot, but what if he just doesn't know any better?

And then there's the other guy - Cole, he thinks - who's in the same boat as Nya in the fact that he's cool with just about anyone. It helps that he's hosted pretty much every single one of the best raves this side of Ninjago.

So, what could possibly be so wrong with Kai that clearly isn't wrong with the others?

Jay finally speaks up again, grateful that he's been given a minute or so to just think to himself, even though Kai's starting to look impatient. "Sorry, I think...I might've had the wrong idea about you this whole time," he musters the best smile he can. "Can we start over?"

The corners of Kai's mouth twist up to an impossible length and Jay instinctively grimaces.

"Huh? Sure!" he excitedly steps forward to close the gap between them just a bit, then reaches his arm out to offer a handshake. "I'm Kai!"

Jay only just notices how sharp Kai's teeth are when the guy grins, like he's some sort of rabid dog. Is that even natural? He wonders if it was done on purpose, and how someone would even go about something like sharpening their own teeth. Or if it's possible. It's easy to see where people's imaginations would run wild when Kai looks like he's about ready to attack someone at any moment. And yet, he acts as if he's totally oblivious to his own intimidating appearance. It's hard to explain why Jay finds that combination more endearing than anything else.

He stares in awe at his newfound appreciation before Kai's face shifts to a frown and Jay realizes that - _oh, right_ \- the guy still has his hand out.

Without his consent, he feels himself start to blush, and the fact that Kai's able to see it - the fact that his smile seems to just widen when it seems he notices - makes his face heat up even more.

"Alright, I didn't really mean _literally_ start over," he starts, but takes Kai's hand anyway, hoping he's not sweating. He starts to ramble on the off chance that the guy notices and wants to comment on it. "But I mean, I'll be honest, all those rumors just felt like they were more believable because of who you hang out with. I guess I was really worried about Lloyd."

Like he's only just realized something, Kai suddenly laughs. "Oh, Lloyd! I think you'd get along. I should totally introduce you two!"

Jay freezes up and his hand tenses.

It makes him accidentally squeeze Kai's in his own, and he pulls away in both surprise and embarrassment. "To - wait, to Lloyd?"

That's not what he was expecting, but Kai only insists on it further. "Yeah!" then, his face falls, as if he's only just noticing Jay's apprehension at the suggestion. His tone rapidly changes to the point where it gives Jay emotional whiplash and Kai's suddenly almost timid. "I guess I just assumed you'd be alright with that, sorry. Is that okay?"

It's astonishing how quickly his view of Kai has shifted, and in what direction.

He's pretty sure the guy in front of him is some kind of alien. His mood and personality seems to change at any given moment, but Jay's not so sure that's entirely a bad thing. Kai is a lot like a puppy, rather than an angry dog, and Jay's not sure when he realized that or when the red-clad boy had become so cute. And then Jay curses himself for thinking that, because he knows for a fact now that he's totally unable to say no to a face like that.

"Alright," he says, feeling like a flustered broken record. "Sounds...fun."

It only really sinks in just how satisfied he is at the fact that Kai's solemn expression is wiped from his face. Jay's completely jumped off the deep end. "Cool! I'm gonna go tell Nya she can come out of her room. I think she's just in there group chatting to the other guys."

It doesn't even register what Kai's said as the teen rushes upstairs, because Jay is genuinely just left that mesmerized.

"Wait, she's what?"


End file.
